(June 6, 2025) More than five and a half decades have passed since Melba Moore left her first profession as a teacher and embarked upon what has been a remarkable music career noted for dozens of soulful albums and singles, as well as an award-winning legacy on Broadway. With a discography spanning sophisticated R&B classics like “Lean on Me,” “Falling” and “Love’s Comin’ at Ya” to disco staples such as “This Is It” and “You Stepped into My Life,” her expansive range has featured as an important part of the soundtrack to the lives of several generations of fans of soul balladry and dance music alike.
Following years of personal turmoil which put a seemingly indefinite hold on her presence in the spotlight, Moore began rebuilding her influence as a prominent recording artist and stage presence in the late 2000s via albums including A Gift of Love with Phil Perry and, more recently, Imagine. The latter garnered considerable recognition with sultry tracks such as “It Seems to Hang On,” “Take Me Away,” and “So in Love.” She proved with that record still deftly capable of alluringly delivering romantic numbers with distinctive acumen.
Perhaps even more captivatingly, Moore returns to the club music fold on “No Filter,” a breezy floorfiller which coasts on the trajectory of her soft conveyance of the self-affirming verses and passionately held notes of strength throughout the second chorus. The cut’s solid production engages with a familiar yet complementary layout of soulful house-inspired percussion patterns and a quite chic synth solo. The “filter” effect on Moore’s vocals is in keeping with the vibe, if at moments a bit distracting from the inherent sass and power which her voice holds.
Longtime listeners who indulged in underrated ‘70s dance floor gems like “Pick Me Up, I’ll Dance” and “Miss Thing” will have sound cause to celebrate Moore’s reconvening with the kinetic genre. Hopefully, it’s the hint of further disco-fied efforts to come. The jazzy infiltrations and festive musical and lyrical celebration of a positive self-image on “No Filter” are an ideal place to start.
